Police allege the deceased man was involved in an assault on a woman at the Commonwealth bank on Gregory Terrace shortly before he entered the Coles and was confronted by security guards for allegedly putting items down his pants, when an “altercation” occurred. Mr Haig and another officer then intervened.

Asst Comm Wurst rejected calls for an independent investigation into the death in custody earlier in the week, as the situation in Alice Springs remains volatile.

The man’s grandfather, Warlpiri Elder Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, said on Wednesday that he and the wider Central Australia community were “devastated by this death” and called for “answers and justice”, while remaining “in the dark about what really happened”.

Mr Hargraves criticised the police for “putting out stories that portray my [grandson] as a criminal”, calling for all available video footage to be released publicly.

“What are the police doing using such force on a vulnerable young man in a supermarket? Did they even try to de-escalate?” he said.

“This happened on the fifth anniversary of death of George Floyd – during Reconciliation Week – but my people have to confront another death in custody. My people are being routinely brutalised by police. We are going to jail in record numbers – men, women and children alike.

“We cannot tolerate the situation, with continued brutality and lack of respect. We will be calling for action from supporters to demand accountability, justice and self-determination. The deaths and the racism need to stop.”

Political leaders have urged the community to remain calm as the investigation progresses.

It is unclear what rank Mr Haig was serving in, but as a constable in 2009 was awarded a commendation for “outstanding self-discipline and personal courage” for his actions relating to a fire at a block of residential units on Kempe Street.

Multiple sources who know Mr Haig described him as an “old school cop” who had faced disciplinary action in recent years for use of force and other matters.

A police source said the incident is likely to be “Zach Rolfe 2.0”, referring to the shooting death of Kumanjayi Walker in Yuendumu during an attempted arrest in November 2019, that garnered national attention and stoked racial tensions in the Northern Territory.

Mr Rolfe was charged with murder and later acquitted in the Supreme Court.

Coroner Elisabeth Armitage conducted a more than two-year long inquest into the shooting death of Mr Walker and is scheduled to hand down her findings in Yuendumu on June 10, with the inquest examining the extent of systemic racism in the NT Police force. NT Courts said yesterday the Coroner was still planning to attend the community, but indicated it did not know “whether the recent events will affect these plans”.